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Kate invites Southport stabbing survivors to her Christmas carol concert

Evelyn Blackwell4 hours ago
3 minutes read
Kate invites Southport stabbing survivors to her Christmas carol concert

The Princess of Wales will welcome families of victims and survivors to her carol concert (Picture: Richard Pohle/The Times/PA Wire)

The Princess of Wales has invited the children who survived the Southport stabbing to her festive carol concert.

They will attend the Together At Christmas event at Westminster Abbey on December 6.

It comes weeks after Kate and William met with families of victims involved in the tragedy, which saw three youngsters stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift themed dance class on July 29.

The visit was the first time the prince and princess had made a public appearance together since Kate’s chemotherapy treatment had ended.

Speaking to the The Sun, a source said the royal family had been a tremendous support to the families.

‘The King met the survivors, then Kate took time out to meet them in private last month with Prince William,’ they added.

‘Now she has personally ensured everyone is invited to her concert which, this year, will mean more to her than ever before.

‘It promises to be an incredible, life-affirming night and there’s been a lot of organisation involved to get it all ready.’

The Prince and Princess of Wales speak to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29. Picture date: Thursday October 10, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Kate. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
William and Kate on a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet emergency services who helped on the day of the attack as well as families affected (Picture: PA)
The Princess of Wales speaks to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29. Picture date: Thursday October 10, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story ROYAL Kate. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
The Princess of Wales was on her first public visit with William since completing her chemotherapy (Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

The families will be welcomed to London for three days, with transport and accommodation covered by the charity, Southport Stronger Together.

Around 1,600 people have been invited to the carol concert, which Kate is hosting for the fourth time.

In 2021 she surprised guests with a solo piano recital and rumours suggest she could be planning something special again this year.

A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: ‘This year’s service provides a moment to reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives.

‘The service will shine a light on individuals from all over the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities.

‘This year, Her Royal Highness wanted to celebrate the many people supporting those in need – individuals who have inspired, counselled, comforted, and above all else shown that love is the greatest gift we can receive.

Undated handout file photos issued by Merseyside Police of (left to right) Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, who died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. Axel Rudakubana, 18, who is accused of the knife-attack murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, has been charged with a terror offence and producing the deadly poison ricin which was found in his home. Issue date: Tuesday October 29, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Southport. Photo credit should read: Merseyside Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died in the attack in July (Picture: Merseyside Police/PA Wire)
Members of the public lay and look at floral tribute left outside the Town Hall in Southport, ahead of a vigil, in memory of three children who died in a
Flowers left outside the town hall in Southport after the attack (Picture: Ryan Jenkinson/PA Wire)

‘This theme takes inspiration from the Christmas story which encourages us to consider the experiences of others and the important human need of giving and receiving empathy.’

William, the King and Queen Camilla and William are all expected at the concert, which will be aired on ITV on Christmas Eve.

Alice Da Silva Aguiar, nine,  Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Bebe King, six died in the Southport attack.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, was charged with their murders as well as the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults.

He is due to go on trial in January.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

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Evelyn Blackwell4 hours ago
3 minutes read
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